Francisco Alberto Varela García

A Civil Engineer (2001), with a Master’s degree in GIS (2004) and a PhD in Civil Engineering (2013), he was awarded the GRADIANT Prize for best doctoral thesis applied to the ICT sector and the UPM-Clarke, Modet&Cº Chair Prize for Industrial and Intellectual Property for his ability to transfer knowledge to the private sector. He is part of the VAC-UDC Group, where he spearheaded cartoLAB, a leading laboratory for research and technology transfer in geographic information systems. He has participated in nearly fifty competitive projects and over one hundred collaborations with numerous organizations, specializing in areas such as mobility, accessibility, and the integration of infrastructure into the landscape.

Author of some thirty publications, books, and book chapters, he has also contributed to territorial plans and strategies, primarily in Galicia. His work combines innovation (patents, open-source software, the VERTINA utility model) with technology transfer projects such as ICARTO and EMAPIC. He has supervised several doctoral theses and has experience coordinating European-funded green infrastructure projects. He is a collaborator and promoter of dozens of development cooperation projects and is involved in academic management in various university bodies.